Final Destination
by wolfspirit34
Summary: A HetaOni doomed timeloop. Italy begins to panic after realizing an error he made in his ruse, just in time for the monster to slowly close in on him in his shaken state. Contains GerIta, character death, blood, and drama.


_I got this idea whilst listening to the Within Temptation song "Final Destination". It somewhat fit HetaOni, and I got this weird/depressing idea for a doomed time loop one-shot. Anyways, this is an interesting (?) HetaOni GerIta one-shot (with maybe some hints of ItaPan in the beginning), rated T for the character death, blood, anguish, and homosexuality /boyxboy /yaoi. Told in first person from Italy's point of view. It's gonna suck butt a lot…so I apologise for that. _

_DISCLAIMER: I do not own Hetalia, HetaOni, the song, or Ao Oni. They belong to their respected owners._

.~.

Final Destination

.~.

Sometimes I wonder if I should just give up. Sometimes the question echoes harshly into my ear when it all seems to be falling down; why can't you just quit and throw it all away?

The first few times, it was okay. There were still many, many times more to try again. The death I had tried too hard to block out, so hard to break free from these chains of hellish deaths and agony. I told myself during those times, "They'll listen to me this time, and they'll understand my warnings. My words will mean something."

I've lost track of how many times I've gone back. What number am I on? Ten? Twenty? It could've been a thousand times and I wouldn't have known the difference. These memories of the stench of blood, the concluding breath, the closing curtain of another's play of life would rerun in my head. It was so painful to watch my own friends and fellow nations drop like stones to the ground as that….that _monster_ tears into them like they're something more fragile than what they really are.

What I had just witnessed now was something I hadn't perceived yet. I didn't know just how menacing or cruel or destructive that _thing_ was yet. That hollowed eyed beast was deadly efficient…and now everything seemed unreal to me. My head felt like it was going to explode. It was like a time bomb in there, ticking loudly that the sound was tapping in my ear, almost masking out the sound of my heart's powerful beating.

Almost.

Japan lay in front of me, what was left after the monster had torn into him. His uniform, usually kept spotless like a newborn white dove, was drenched with blood and shredded from sharp claws and incisors. There were large cuts that had sunk deep within his skin, the wounds still saturated red. The worst part, however, was his eyes, dulled from their good-mannered light and now just dismal, charred pools of what had been such an amazing friend. The air was devastated with the stench of mortality and death. It was…too much for me to take in. Everything began to crack around me.

I ran my fingers through my hair and screamed for what it was all worth. I barely noticed the journal falling from my fingers onto the carpeted floor, my cries of torment covering its soft thud at impact. I fell to my knees, my grasp getting tighter around my roots. Tears ran down my face to the ground, my heart was beating faster than it had been seconds before. I should be used to this. I should be used to seeing a…my own friends die. Why…why do I still scream and cry and ache at every ending? Why?

I covered my face, my wails tumbling down to uneven whimpers and ragged breathing. I placed my trembling hand onto Japan's. My ally was dead. There was no way he could've survived such a frightening amount of damage on his small body. He was smaller than me…why couldn't that creature get me instead?

Of course not. Japan had shielded me from attack. Of _course_.

My eyes were so blurred from the grief that I could barely relocate my other hand to my journal. Japan's hand in mine was alien to me; the cold touch it had compared to my own was an odd combination. I squeezed it tenderly, memories flooding into my still-throbbing head. Memories from when I had met Japan. I had been nervous what to say to him when we met. We admitted in being interested in each other's culture. I held back because I was scared what Germany would do if I-

I gasped aloud, my hand contracting and my heart sending messages of painful emotions. The tears jerked out from my eyes faster. Germany, why _Germany?_ He had been the first to go, for God's sake! He had been the first in this loop to get his body destroyed by that creature…so _badly_…with so much blood…

I removed my hand from Japan's and wiped my eyes as best as I could, the tears feeling icy against my bloody skin. Germany had been my very close friend, my ally…

Maybe my love, too.

The journal in my hand fell again, this time onto my lap. My throat was threatening to detonate from all the anguish deep inside my heart. Every time a thought of Germany whispered innocently into my head, I would receive the image of him against the wall, half dead, defeated, telling me to save myself and to leave him and his brother behind...from the very beginning of this nightmare. My white flag would be trailing behind me like a tattered banner of death as I turned and ran, leaving behind my closest companion for that beast.

Would everything have changed if I had refused to flee? Would the ending of that tale end differently if I had told him I loved him? My feelings had been so confused and jumbled; at that point I had forgotten what I had felt for the solider, and everything else that mattered.

At that, another thought surfaced itself in the back of my head, _Wait, what…what about the clock?_

My heart jumped and I covered my mouth in realization. I had…so _stupid_…that clock was needed to rewind the history of my friends in this place and restart! I had been so scared so I forgot about finding it! Stupid, stupid, stupid, _stupid_! I took a shuddering breath to calm my emotions. I needed to stay calm so I could search for it. I took an attempt to stand but I was suddenly aware of the heavy breathing behind me.

I froze. The abrasive inhalation was taking place just above my neck, the hairs there rising as fear began to pump through my body like a powerful river. A growl rumbled through the still air. I dared to look behind me, slowly turning my head around to face-

The creature opened its mouth, jagged fangs lining the gums. It raised a bloody hand and screamed out what sounded like, "yOU…jUst…loST..."

I shrieked aloud in surprise, a bomb in my head going off and everything in sight clouded in a hazy appearance from distress. I snatched up the journal and stumbled a couple feet, landing next to Japan's body. The creature lunged at me, forcing me to roll over as the claws sunk fast into the carpet instead of my head like it had intended. I scrambled to my feet and raced down the hall, my breathing and gait bumpy from terror.

My eyes darted from wall to wall, looking for anything that could hint the location of that clock. A drawing, a piece of paper, a note, just _something_. It was just a long hall, lined with an assortment of things I didn't care to tell what was. I was only conscious of the creature slowly catching up to me and that I could be dead. Even a single moment of no awareness could lose me my own life.

My feet suddenly slipped underneath me, causing me to trip myself up. With a yelp of surprise, I fell onto my back, the journal sliding away. It was too far for me to grab again. I tried to stand but my foot was caught on something, like a thread in the carpet or something like that. I turned to check for something but instead…a pale grey hand had wrapped its fingers around my ankle, preventing me from movement. I cried out and kicked desperately at the unfamiliar thing before me, but there was no loosening in its grip.

A shadow crossed over my quivering body, and I slowly moved my eyes from the hand from the carpet up to where stood the beast. Blood was running from its jaws, splattering onto my legs and staining its lips. I caught sight of a piece of red-stained white cloth between its fingers, and it flicked it to me in a nonchalant manner, "Do yoU waNt To pLAy tHIs WAy?" he gurgled out.

I said nothing. I tried to say something, but my throat was too dry from screaming and sobbing. Apprehension grabbed hold of my body, making me too scared to make a single move. The creature looked down at me, emotionless as it always looked. Without a single noise, it dove at my body, its teeth exposed, and sunk its claws into my arm.

I cried out again, finally kicking away the hand under the carpet and scampering back to my feet in time to receive a painful slash onto my back. I bit my lip, trying to prevent the tears from falling again. I couldn't cry again, not when I just needed to find the one thing I needed!

I didn't realise that the journal was still left on the ground back there until I had already dashed far away from it. I couldn't leave it behind, so I risked a turn around to go and fetch it. I planned to dodge out of the creature's way and seize it, and then try and go the other way before I could get killed. It was a simple plan, but there was one thing I didn't depend on.

The creature's proximity to me was too close, and I barely had time to react when talons shot out and caught me by the chest. Ripping through the fabric of my uniform, straight to my skin…

_Skratch!_

I puffed out a breath of pain, sent reeling backwards before landing onto my back. The beast didn't waste a second, reaching at me again with its now blood-drenched hand. I attempted to stand up on my feet, but the pain caused my head to spin and me to fall into the nearby wall. I was cornered, trapped like a rat for the monster's hungry pleasure.

I pressed myself as close as possible against the wall. My chest was heaving, my breath was caught in my throat, sweat ran steamy down my neck. Oh _God_, it _hurt_, it _hurt_…the sticky red liquid was soaking through my navy blue uniform, turning it a dark purple. I scooted to the far the left as quickly as I could before the creature could get to me, but I hit another wall with my injured shoulder. I squeaked out, realizing I hit against the corner of the hall. I was truly imprisoned now; I was stuck in the angle, my blood leaving stains on the wall paper.

I pressed my hands against my chest wounds, trying to slow the bleeding that was running thick and sticky through my shaky fingers. My hair was drenched in my own sweat and blood, covering my eyes and putting my sight off. It wasn't like I needed to see that monster's face when it tore into my body, leaving my corpse to rot and possibly be eaten by its other…_friends_.

It had friends. I had none left alive. The winning card rested in its own ashen hand, not mine. I swallowed and kept my head down, not allowing it to see my frightened face. I curled up in a tighter ball against the wall, feeling heated breath near my face. My bangs fluttered up, giving me a glance of that brutish, malicious face. I shuddered.

"G…Germany…" I murmured, "…I-I'm sorry, I'm so sorry…I couldn't save you after all…" I closed my eyes, remembering everything possible that didn't have anything to do with this mansion.

_Hiding in the tomato box…fighting the Allies…Holy Roman Empire…making lunch with Japan…training with Germany…waking up from a bad dream, and seeing Germany there, that comforted me…the World Conference…laughing…smiling…_ every remembrance and happy sensation came swamping into my fear-filled head. An unusual sense of stillness came over me, calming my fast beating heart and dulling the pain in my wounds. I took a deep breath again, allowing the oxygen to appease me.

"Come play with me, you monster." I whispered, "Come…and get me."

The next moment was as if time had slowed itself. I heard the distinctive unsheathing of teeth and claws, the swinging of its sharp weaponry through the air, a gargled battle cry, and then…

…_nothing?_

There was a screech of irritation from the monster. Confusion hovered in my brain…_Shouldn't I be dead?_ I slowly raised my head, my bangs parting at the unhurried movement. My sight was blurred from my tears, adjusting to the light. I couldn't make out anything as of yet, but a darkened figure obscured my vision.

"…Italy?"

My heart beat wildly, this time not out of fear, but of surprise and…joy. _G-Germany?_

I opened my mouth, staring up at the taller nation with wide eyes. Not a noise came from me; I was in shock. Wait…what…didn't I see him…die? I shook my head, squeezing my eyes shut, trying to erase that memory from my mind. When I looked at Germany again, I saw he was holding a hand to a shoulder, and his clothes were tarnished with blood.

I had…had thought he was dead, _what…?_ "G-Ger…G-G-G-Germany!" I cried out, "You…you're alive…!"

He nodded, "Yes, but it seems that this isn't over yet," he turned and I followed his blue-eyed gaze. The creature was standing several feet away were Germany had slammed it against the wall, growling and snarling at us. I heard three, distinctive words from the mess of sounds, though; "YOu'lL reGREt thIS."

I used the wall as support as I forced myself to stand, ignoring the pain of my injuries. I narrowed my eyes at the beast, looking ready to kill with black voids and leaden lips revealing sharp fangs. Germany had his usual weapon, a whip, at hand and a battle-ready expression on his face. I licked my lips from the blood running from it, facing the creature that had caused me so much pain and anguish.

With a guttural scream, the monster sprang at us, claws shining with my blood. I flung myself out of the way; the creature however caught me by a claw. I winced as it sunk into my shoulder again. The whip came down on its face with a sharp _smack_, sending it recoiling. Germany turned to me, looking worried, "Italy, maybe you should stay behind me…"

My heart jumped, "No!" I cried out, startling Germany a little. I stood as tall as I could manage, "I…will not run away anymore. I'm going…going to fight with you, Germany…" A new emotion swelled into my chest, a fresh sense of determination that felt…different. Different then to what I usually felt. Fleeing was my general strength, not this kind of thing…

He stared at me, and then nodded at my grit, "Okay than." he said assuring, and "We…we fight, together." The solider-like expression on his face warmed what icy covering my broken heart had.

I removed what was left of my white flag at this point from my belt. Sure, the majority of the flag part had been destroyed from me trying to save people and turning its cloth into bandages…but the pole could be used as a weapon. I gripped it tightly, and the creature lunged again.

It attacked me, but I managed to block its attack with the pole. I pushed it forwards, but the creature thwacked me across the face, hard. I kicked at it, and it stumbled backwards a bit. Germany withdrew his whip again, slapping a hard blow to the shoulder. The monster seemed to grow furious, hungry for our blood and flesh. Germany swiped that whip back at it, catching on another hit as it lunged at him.

The teeth sunk into his hand and Germany grinded his teeth together to prevent any outburst of his pain. I hit the monster with the pole again, as hard as I could make the blow (honestly, I don't think this was very much.). Germany managed to wrench his hand from that menace's teeth, but his whip fell out of his grasp onto the floor. I hit the creature again, but my pole snapped under the sheer strength of its hands.

We were left defenseless in a short matter of seconds, despite outnumbering it. Germany and I took a couple steps back, the whip too far to reach. The creature snarled out what sounded like, "_dIE_!" and it plunged at us. It sounded frustrated at our combined strength, but it seemed to be quite amused. At what?

It bit down hard on Germany's already damaged shoulder, and in response he kicked as hard as he could at the beast, blood spilling from the reopened injury. I was getting scared for him; he looked as if he had lost a lot of blood from this fight as well as the one he had apparently died in. He _couldn't_ just die again. He _couldn't_…

I slammed my body full force against the beast, but it thwacked me forward again, sending me tumbling into Germany. What little strength he seemed to have left diminished, as we lay on the ground breathing hard. Sweat was running down my face, and, in Germany's case, blood as well. I knew if I died, there would be no one left to go back in time…which meant we would all be dead.

The monster looked completely unscathed from our attacks, the only sign of injury being a small scrape on its cheek. It was going for the kill, it seemed. Germany look exhausted, we didn't have a weapon, and we were going to get eaten by this beast. All because I forgot to find the stupid clock.

"This is all my fault…" I wailed to myself, "If only…if only I hadn't dropped the journal…if only I hadn't told America about the mansion…_stupid, stupid stupid…_"

The creature slammed a heavy hand onto mine. Germany jumped up, and hit his fist at it, but the creature merely bared its claws and speared them down _hard_ into his chest.

_Very_ deep into his chest.

"_Germany!_" I screamed.

Germany opened his mouth to exclaim a curse, but only a splatter of blood bespattered onto the floor. He fell fast, landing with a heavy _thud_ with a puddle of scarlet pain already forming underneath him. He was lying, bleeding, _dying_ before me…because of that creature. My breathing became irregular again, but a new emotion swung itself into my head. The world seemed to take in its own breath before I plunged.

I ducked, and took the whip from the floor, and, without any warning at all, charged at the creature, who looked at me, slightly startled. Rage was flowing over my head, my eyes only become red stained and wrathful. I don't know what had come over me, but I was angry. Angry at everything that had happened in this place…!

_Thwack!_ For Japan!

_Thwack!_ For France!

_Thwack!_ For Prussia!

I wasn't aware of the babbled screams coming from the creature. The emotion took my body over so quickly, the only thing I could hear in my ears was the cries of my friends during their deaths. Deaths delivered by this _thing_…

_Thwack!_ For Britain!

_Thwack!_ For America!

_Thwack!_ For China!

_Thwack! _For Germany!

_Thwack! _This…

_Thwack_! Is…

_Thwack!_ For…

_Thwack!_ _**EVERTHING ELSE!**_

_THWACK!_

I gasped aloud and I snapped out of my daze, very swiftly. The walls seemed bent and disoriented around me, giving off the feel of something sinister. I rubbed my eyes in an attempt to free the strange sensation that was making my eyes sting. I looked up, and I noticed just one thing that seemed different; the monster wasn't in front of me.

There was a small pool of blood where it had been standing; the result when the creature had been defeated. Did that mean I killed it? The thought was bizarre to me…I had never really killed the thing all by myself.

"…I-Italy…?"

I turned around, dropping the whip, "G-Germany!" I cried out, stumbling over to him and kneeling by his battered body, "Are you okay? Wait, give me a second, I think I can use what's left of my flag…"

When my hand stretched to grab the shattered pole, Germany's hand reached out to mine and touched it gently. I stiffened; his faint pulse through his glove was alarmingly slow. I blinked at him, feeling scared, "G…Germany?"

He smiled painfully, "I-I don't think…that's necessary. I'm…not going to last long now, so i-it wouldn't be worth any effort…"

"V-Veh?" Fear clenched tightly in the pit of my stomach, "Y-You're not going to die! You c-can't die again!" I cried out.

Germany coughed a bit, then began to speak again, "Back there…when the creature attacked me when…wh-when everyone else was still alive…I was…h-had died back there…" he mumbled, just to audible level.

"Nn?" Germany must be talking about before, when I had seen the creature kill him. That's what he meant…the question reappeared in my head; what the _heck_ happened?

His voice pulled me back. "B…but when everything went b-black, I was in a field. A-A field full of grass and flowers," Germany grimaced, attempting to sit up more. "It seemed so p-peaceful and strange…everything felt like a dream."

I put on hands on his shoulder, carefully not to touch his injury, "You…were in heaven or…something?" I managed to murmur out.

"_Ja_." Germany whispered hoarsely, "I was worried because I couldn't find anyone else there. I…t-tried searching for you, but I couldn't f-find-" an outbreak of coughing interrupted, and he fell onto his back again. I leaned over him, doing my best to use my hands to stop the blood. "Find you. I kept on r-running and calling wh-when I saw him."

"H-Him?" I echoed.

"He…was tall, with a flowing cloak of black and yellow." Germany's eyes went to slits, like he was trying to recapture the image in his head, "He had this…this _young_ feeling to him. I-I can't remember too well. But…h-he had these eyes like sapphires…"

The description caused my heart to jump. I ripped a piece off of my uniform and pressed it against his chest wound and pressed, trying to stop the rapid bleeding. The cloth took to the new surrounding too fast; it became scarlet as if by magic. I rolled my sleeves down and put pressure down onto the injury. My head swum with bewildering thoughts and pictures, _That fits…it rings a bell somewhat._

Germany wrapped his shaking hand on mine, taking slower breaths as he tried to recompose himself, "He saw m-me…and he came over and told me it…th-that i-t wasn't my time yet. H-He said that I couldn't g-g…go away yet. That I was needed…by you." His body convulsed from another wheeze, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, "I…was surprised when he said that. 'Italy needs you,' i…s what he said…s-something like…like that…"

"Holy Rome…" I breathed, "How…what…"

I gripped Germany's bloody hand tighter. Holy Roman Empire, my childhood friend, my first love, but currently deceased. He had died such a long time ago…why did he talk to Germany in heaven, or wherever they were?

The dying nation didn't seem to hear me, his eyes starting to glaze over, "I…wa…s r-really sh…shocked when h-he said your…y-your name. S…I asked him about you, where…were y-you, how were yo…you. He told me that I…you were fine, but everyone else…mein Bruder and Japan and B-B….ritain…everyone was d-dead. I was…your last hope; he had said it …sh-sharply I remember. I needed to go back to…s-save you because y-you were the l…only surviving one left…"

I wiped some blood off of his forehead, "T-try and save your breath, Germany. You've lost a lot of blood." I said as assuring as I could, "You'll be fine."

"I…am beyond being…fine, Italy. L-listen closely, I need to say…this o-one last thing," he gasped out, sides heaving and breathing quickening at a frightening pace, "Th…that man said th…when I had said I…didn't u-understand this all, wh-when I…was confused about what…what he meant, he…he told me something strange. He s-said, 'You don't have to…understand, I am you after all,'. A…after that he just, vanished. I woke up and I…w-was o…on the fl-floor, wh…where I had d-died."

Germany closed his eyes, and took a couple juddering breathing before he persisted, despite the blood coming without restrictions from his wound, "I k…kept hearing a v-voice in my head, t…telling me w…which way to go, and everything…I saw you, bleeding. Injuried. Hurt. Frightened. And…the be…beast was going to get you. So I charged…in…to i-it an…d, we…ll…"

Here he stopped talking, reopening his eyes. He put a hand to my cheek, a warm smile on his face, "I-Italy…I'm glad you…are okay…"

I placed my own hand over his, the sticky glove leaving crimson blemishes on my face. Tears began to fall from my eyes again; I couldn't help it anymore. "G-Germany, please don't die. You can't die again. I've seen you die too many times already, I can't take it anymore!"

He retched a bit again, his chin now completely red, "You…have always been such a beautiful person." He muttered, "You've done nothing but be kind to J…Japan and me…making bandages when we g…got hurt or injured…" with his thumb on my cheek he wiped away a dropping tear, "Don't cry, Italy. You…need to get out of here."

_Get…out…of…here?_ The words cut through me like a sword. Getting out of this hell was the last thing I had in mind, "Germany, I'm not going to leave you. I need to get my journal and turn the clock back. I'm staying put."

I buried my head into his chest, "I'm not going to leave you alone again…like last time…" I closed my eyes, breathing in what remained of Germany's sweet scent, "You're too important to me."

"You r…remem…ber when…you sl…ept in my be…d that one t-time, r…ight?" Germany murmured faintly. It was like he wasn't even really here anymore "…I-I'd get so an…annoyed at y-you…d…did…n…"

"Yes…yes! Yes, Germany, I remember that!" I cried out. I was really starting to cry now. I couldn't stand the sight of Germany looking so weak. "Why…?"

Germany smiled again, so softly that it hurt when I saw the shape form on his lips, "I…w…as…th…inking, th…at ma…m-maybe we c….could…" He swallowed, but he didn't try to speak again.

Of course. He couldn't finish his sentence; he was too close to death, and too out of life to complete his request. I knew what he meant; he wanted us to sleep side by side for the last time…before his passing. I felt my tears begin to cease as I rested next to him, my head still on his chest. I closed my eyes as the sound of his expiring heartbeat sounded in my head, "Yes…the last time…" I breathed out.

Peace flooded over me for once after the hell started, it virtually felt foreign to my heart. I was calm, slowly starting to nod off a bit as my initial tiredness began to creep into my body. I felt safe next to Germany…so _loved_…

Our hearts beat so strongly I almost didn't hear Germany's final intake of breath.

_Almost_.

.~.

_Ja- Yes_

_Note- the monster bears a resemblance to how it is portrayed in mieulinhtu's HetaOni doushinji on dA. It is not mine._

_Arrg, this is too sad .. The result of curiousity when I was wondering what would happen if the monster had actually attacked Italy. I apologise for the…weirdness of it all…They just…seemed to fit /. Hope you enjoyed this depressing oneshot! ~Wolfie_


End file.
